Mechanical musical apparatus.



G. P. BRAND. MECHANICAL MUSICAL APPARATUS.

m m m I G. P. BRAND. MECHANICAL MUSIGAL APPARATUS. APPLIonIoN HLED.11111.11, 1904. nmmwm PEB. e, 1909.

Patented 0011.5, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNrE STT;

S PATNT Filh.

GEORGE P. EEAND, 0E NEW YORK, N. Y.

MEcHANrcAL MUSICAL APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. BRAND, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Musical Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification sulficient to enable othersskilled in the art to which the invention appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to pneumatic apparatus used in automatic musicplaying devices, such as mechanical players and the like, and isdesigned to afford means whereby a so called normal tension or pressurein the wind chest with which the sound actuating pneumatics areconnected, may be set and regulated, or varied temporarily, and wherebythe degree of tension thus prescribed for the wind chest is maintainedautoimitically with the minimum degree of fluctuation from normal. rlhisl accomplish by interposing between the wind chest and the exhaustmeans, a throttle valve controlled by a pneumatic communicating with thewind chest substantially as hereinafter set forth. y

My invention also includes certain minor features inthe construction andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed specifically.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l, is a sectional elevation of myimproved variable tension regulator and connections, showf ing theregulator expanded, and set to afford a relatively low degree oftension; Fig. 2, a similar view of the parts, the regulator being shownas collapsed and set to afford a relatively high degree of tension; Fig.3, is a detail view of the valve mechanism; Fig. t, a section upon planeof line 4%- Fig. l.

In the drawings `W represents .symbolically a wind chest of an automaticmusic player; the actuating pneumatics by which the notes are soundedcommunicating with said wind chest through suitable ducts or conduits inany usual or desired manner. ln like manner E represents symbollicallyany suitable form of exhaust mechanism, as au exhaust bellows orequivalent.

R is my tension regulator or variable expression device, consistingessentially of a pneumatic r, communicating through an open port fw,with the wind chest W7, and through one or more valve ports @,with theSpecification of Letters Patent.

exhauster E.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

Renewed February 6, 1909. Serial-No. 476,481.

I, is an intermediate air chest used for convenience although notabsolutely essential since my pneumatic tension regulator R may bearranged to communicate either directly oi indirectly with both the windchest lV and the exhauster E in any manner which may be found expedientin adapting my tension regulating device to the requirements of use indifferent forms of pneumatic players,-the essential feature in thsrespect being the interposition, between the exhaust mechanism and thewind chest, of a throttle valve actuated by a pneumatic controlled bythe air tension in the wind chest. For this reason the particular formof throttle valve used is also of secondary importanee and l do notconfine myself in this respect to the identical construction andarrangement of valve ports shown in the accompanying drawings sincevarious modiications may obviously be resorted to with like result.

The intern'iediate chest l, is divided into two air chambers w, and c',by the partition z'. The upper chamber w, communicates through the ductL02 with the wind chest W, and through the open port fw, with theinterior of the pneumatic r, thus insuring practically the same degreeof tension in the pneumatic 17 that exists in the wind chest W. Thelower chamber c communicates through the open port c2, with the space orchamber e3, into which the valve port or ports e, open and through whichlatter communication is had with the interior of the pneumatic Theavailable `area of this communication through the valve port or ports c,is governed by the position of the valve blade or cut off e, pivotallysupported at one extremity and connected by a link Z, with a slide Smounted upon the movable member r', of the pneumatic r, the slide itselfbeing controlled manually or otherwise by means of a rod s or othermechanical expedient.

It is obvious that the thrust of the valve blade e with relation to thevalve port or ports c `when the movable member r of the pneumatic fr isdrawn inward, will bc governed by the position of this slide S upon suchmovable member. Thus if the slide is pushed downward the extent ofavailable thrust will be diminished, and vice versa.

A buffer B is arranged to stop the valve blade fz), when the lattercompletely closes the port or ports c, as shown in Fig. 2, and aresilient spring or equivalent device T is arranged to tend constantlyto expand the pneumatic r and torce its movable member outward againstthe resistance ot internal tension. lfhus the spring i or otherretractile device tends constantly to retrairft the yalye blade /f awayfrom theI Valve port or ports c, while the external itmoslvihericpressure tends to close the said port or ports owing to the partialVacuum created internally by the exhaust mechanism through said ports.

lWhile l do not restrict n'uYS-iell to a spring as a means otlretracting the yalye blade o, l lind the use of a coiled conicalcompressiblo spring such as shown zulyantageous in that it altords agradually increasing resistance to the closing olf the ports c.

The whole object being to maintain a prescribed degree ot workingtension within the wind chest Y?, it is obvious that air admittedthereto through the note sounding pneumatics, be the saine more or lessin quantity within a given time, should be withdrawn from said windchest innuediately and automatically without increasing the workingtension above that desired and prescribed by the operator. rllhus theslide S being set to represent a prescribed degree of tension in thewind chest, any excess of air admitted trom the note soundingpneuma'tics will intlate the pneumatic fr ot the regulator lt andthereby cause the valve blade to ogen the port or ports c more or less,to allow the exhauster ,E to quickly withdraw such excess ot air. fisthe normal worl-:ing tension is thus restored in the wind chest theincrease in tension in Vthe pneumatic yr causes the latter to partiallycollapse and close the port or ports c, more or less, according` to thedi tlcrence in tension existing in the exhauster ll as compared withthat in the wind chest Vil. Thus it the tension in the exhauster E isgreater than that in the wind chest lill, the regulator will collapsesu'tliciently to cause the yal'ie blade o to close the port or ports c,entirely until air admitted to the wind chest will as before statedagain reduces the tension therein and permits the pneumatic r, to expandunder the action of the spring T, and these operations Yill be repeatedindefinitely and auton'ia'tically during the operation ot theapparatus,-the number and extent of the tluctuations being dependentupon the character and reeuiirements ci vthe music executed. illyregulator Yrt thus practically protects the -wind chest against anincrease oft tension above the normal prescribed by the position oit theslide S, since the exhauster an only take through the .throttle theexcess oit air admitted into the wind chest from the note actuatingpneumatics.

Thilo do not wish to restrict myself to any particular throttle valvemechanism as bel'ore stated, l attain by that shown herein seusitiyeuessand delicacy o'l adjustment and operation that most desirable inpractice.

lt is to be noted that l have hereinbetore described the use ot a singleValve blade i', and link t, which arrangement entirely practicable butis preferably duplicated as in the drawing-t; the Yalyc blades beingcoupled together by cross rods fu.

.lt will thus be seen thatI by my construction l am able to impart andcontrol expression in the rendition ot a musical composition withoutrestriction or limitation as to power or volume ot' sound.

lilhat l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis,

l. ln pneumatic apparatus tor use in automatic players, the combinationwith the working tension wind chest and with the exhaust mechanism, ol apneumatic and valve interposed between said wind chest and said exhaustmechanism, a slide on the movable member ot' said pneumatic, .means forconnecting said. slide pivotally with the said valve, and means foradjusting said slide to vary the thrust oi.2 the valve with relation tothe area ot connnunication hetween the said wind chest and the exhaustmechanism tor the purpose set torth.

ln pneumatic apparatus for use in automatic music players, thecombination with a working tension chest and with the exhaust mechanism,ot' a tension regulator interposed between them, and comprising apneumatic and contained means for prescribing the degree et tension insaid regulator, and Ytor automatically maintaining such prescribeddegree oit' tension therein, and sliding means within said pneumaticconnected with said contained means for actuating the same.

In pneumatic apparatus for use in automatic music players, a regulatorcomprising a pneumatic, piyoted means within the pneumatic itorautomatically retaining any prescribed degree oi tension, a slidemovable within the pneumatic and connected with said piyotcd means forsetting the same to any desired degree ol tension while the machine isin operation.

i. in pneumatic apparatus for use in automatic music players, aregulator, comprising a pneumatic., means within said pneumatic forautomatically retaining any prescribed degrec oit tension, and meanswithin said pneumatic cooperating with said alitomatic means andpiyotally connected thereto tor setting the same to any desired degreeot tension while the machine is in operation.

5. In pnemnatic apparatus for use in automatic music players, aregulator, comprising a pneumatic, ports and controlling' means withinsaid pneumatic for said ports, said controlling means being slidablymovable relatiyely to said ports, and means pivlfl 5 otally connected4with said means Within said pneumatic for setting the same to anyprescribed degree of tension.

6. In pneumatic apparatus for use in music players, the combination witha Working tension Wind chest, of means under the control of the operatorfor producing` different degrees of tension While the machine 1s 1noperation, the same comprising a pneumatic GEO. WVM. Mm'r'r, D. W.GARDNER.

